The formation of an EU run rapid reaction force is a huge step towards the European Army to fight the
resources wars of the 21st century called for by former European Commission President, Jacques Delors. It is
a distraction to say this force is for humanitarian and peacekeeping purposes.

The British government is right to be nervous about first agreeing to and then committing 12,000 British
forces to this military adventure. The public in Britain is being softened up to accept a European Army.

No humanitarian exercise has ever been given 60,000 troops, 400 combat aircraft and 100 warships to
distribute flour and milk powder to starving people. “Peacekeeping” does not require such a large force either
- the war against Yugoslavia saw 30,000 troops used in Kosovo.

There are plenty of indications of the real nature and role of this rapid reaction force. The speed at which
these armed forces are to be made available to the European Union has parallels with the five year armed
build up by Hitler. This was largely done by stealth before military intervention expanded the Third Reich
outside the borders of Germany and led to the Second World War. A Euro-corps based in Strasbourg was
formed some years ago. An EU military committee was set up in March this year. Former NATO Secretary
General, Javier Solana, was made the High Representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
(CFSP) and Secretary General of the Western European Union earlier this year.

The Euro-rapid reaction force is to act in the EU’s backyard which Defence Minister Hoon says has no
defined limits, but, the French Defence Minister stated the EU would develop global security responsibilities.
This goes beyond the declared remit of NATO to act only on behalf of NATO members under attack.

Led by Germany with France, the long held stated ambition of Euro-federalists has been for a European Army
and end US dominance of the continent via NATO. If this is achieved and the US is tipped out of “Europe”
then it means the EU can turn against the USA in the new imperial scramble for resources - both raw material
and labour - especially in Africa and Arabia.

There is a simple alternative to more military expenditure in a consolidated Euro-military-industrial- complex,
a European Army carrying out a common foreign policy and a resurgence of old fashioned imperialism. For a
state like Britain to hand over control of its own armed forces to the European Union spells the beginning of
the end of that state. The cold war ended a decade ago, the globe faces certain environmental problems which
require a rapid solution, there are plenty of social and health problems which need research and money. Effort
and attention must instead be directed at these and many other matters rather than potential armed conflict
between superpowers and a further round of exploitation and untold misery for the “Third World”.